The Crystal Tear
by Aarana Sky
Summary: Serena is out late when she is attacked...and not by a Youma...can Darien save her?


The Crystal Tear  
Aarana Sky  
PG  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own it, never have never will  
  
Authors Note: Hello! Aarana here! I composed this piece of work while   
being totally completely depressed, so if this makes you a little   
teary...good. Every one needs a good cry now and then, and I can honestly   
say that this made me cry ten fold. If you don't like a depressing   
story.... turn back now! *Giggle* I would like to thank all of ASMR for   
their constant support, and especially theanimefan, Karen, for your wisdom  
and awesome editing skills. Thank you. Now...on with the story!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Serena hurried through the alley, knowing that she was way past   
due in arriving home. She knew that she had to stop these late nights   
out fighting youma, or her mom would begin to think that studying at Amy's   
was the lie that it was. The town's clock tower struck midnight as she   
quickened her pace, eager to return home. She was so preoccupied with her   
own thoughts that she failed to notice the steady footsteps that had started  
following her.  
  
Reaching the end of the alley, Serena stopped and let out a sigh of relief.   
She always hated that alley, but it was the quickest way to get home. Only   
then did she hear the raspy breathing of someone close behind her. Way too   
close for comfort. She froze in place, not sure whether to scream, or run,   
or cry. All her training was forgotten, her mind, a paniced blank.   
  
Suddenly, a large sweaty arm reached around her neck and covered her mouth,   
while the other arm wrapped around her body, pinning her arms to her sides.  
This was no monster that she was used to dealing with. It was a man. He was   
at least a foot taller than her, but it almost seemed like he was   
much, much taller than 6ft. He leaned forward, greedily   
slobbering into her ear, "Now you are going to be a good little girl aren't   
you?" he whispered, his voice shattering the calm night air like glass.   
Using his thumb, he started to stroke the side of her nose, getting more   
excited by the moment. At his touch, Serena flinched in repulsion and   
started to struggle. The man threw her against the wall, pressing up against   
her, trapped her like a bunny in a bear trap, his hand still covering her   
mouth. Her strength, though great, couldn't help her against this beast of a  
man. She tried, but to no avail to reach her locket. Thoughts of how to   
escape ran through her mind. She attempted to stomp on his boots, but they   
were steel-toed...'damn'. Serena looked up towards her captor for the first   
time. She couldn't contain the gasp that escaped from her lips. God he was   
ugly. She thoroughly studied his face, seeing the crescent scar that ran   
from his ear to his mouth. She wondered where he had gotten it. From   
attacking others like herself she supposed. Her eyes wandered up towards   
his nose, which was grossly disfigured. From one too many fights she could   
only assume. Her dad once told her that if you break your nose too many   
times, it would never be the same again. 'Daddy'. At the thought of her dad,  
she became more desperate, close to hysteria. Still looking at her   
assailant, she knew at any moment things were going to get worse. She then   
knew in her heart what she must do. As she feigned submissiveness, the   
attacker grinned like the chesire cat at his good fortune and loosened his   
grip on her so that he could touch her more freely. He reached up and ripped  
her shirt from her shoulder down to her waist. She knew that this was her   
only chance, and she wasn't about to waste it. Quick as a rabbit, she jerked   
her knee up to his groin, and really nailed him hard. As he grabbed at   
himself in pain, she bit into his other hand that still kept her mouth   
captive. She couldn't help but gag. His hand tasted like one too many   
bottles of god-knows-what spilled on it. Serena skirted away and screamed   
bloody murder. So startled was the giant, that he could only stare at her   
in shock, wondering how so much noise could come from such a tiny mouth.   
Suddenly a dark figure crept up behind him. His intentions were to kill the   
man that had dared to attack his love.   
  
Serena saw the figure creep up behind the evil man. She hoped to God that   
the new arrival was there to help her. As the figure crept closer, she   
realized it was Darien. The love of her life. Shrieking louder, Serena now   
tried to distract the stranger from noticing Darien's presence. Catching the   
other man by surprise by throwing his arms around the man's neck, Darien   
tried to knock the other off balance. The giant reached up and grabbed at   
the arms that were now around his own throat, struggling to catch a breath.   
Serena screamed as the giant bent forward and threw Darien up and over his   
shoulder. Darien crashed to the ground, his breathe knocked out of him.   
Serena cried out in distress and tried to go to her loves aid, but there   
was one obstacle that wouldn't let her. The stranger had reached over and   
grabbed her arm again. Thinking that she was now all his, he never noticed   
Darien regain his wits. Grabbing the man's legs and pulling with all his   
might, Darien wrestled the attacker to the ground. Jumping on top of him,   
he hit him hard right in the face, clearly breaking the man's nose and   
rendering him unconscious. Darien got up and looked over to where Serena   
was cowering against the wall, too scared to move, or talk, or anything.   
Replacing his look of anger with one of tenderness, he moved towards her,   
aware that she was near the breaking point.   
  
"Are you all right?" he whispered, not sure if she actually heard   
him, but knowing that somewhere in her mind she was aware of him in some   
way. She always was. Slowly she lifted her head and their eyes locked. Blue   
to blue. Sky blue to dark blue. Love to love. Tears began to fill her eyes   
as she gazed at her hero, and the realization of what had just happened   
started to sink in. In a move that Darien didn't expect, she threw herself   
into his arms and wept. She cried and cried until there was nothing left in   
her except the unpleasant feeling of hiccups. He held her tightly, knowing   
that was what she needed right now, though he knew that it was not right,   
and they shouldn't be so close, no matter how much she loved him, no matter   
how much he loved her. To keep her safe, he must keep her away.... but then  
why did it hurt so much? Gently tilting her head back, he saw the tears that  
glistened off of her eyelashes, and felt the urge to lean down and kiss   
them away. To kiss away all of her hurts and pains.   
  
She saw the worried look he gave her, and the look of love in his eyes.   
Serena watched Darien with astonishment. She knew that he still loved her,   
so why did he resist? Was there something that she had done? Not that she   
knew. She started to get really worried when his reticence seemed to drop   
back into place, and all that remained was a guarded expression that as of   
late, she was used to seeing. Short of dropping her onto the ground, Darien   
jerked away, and made a move to escape.  
  
"Darien, wait" she called in desperation. He turned and stared,   
waiting for her to continue her words that he needed to hear, the ones that   
he knew she wanted to utter.  
  
"I need you," she whispered softly. At first he thought it   
was but an errant murmur of the wind, but when he saw the look in her eyes   
he knew that he had heard her correctly. She needed him, and as much as it   
killed him, he couldn't help her. Trying to keep his own tears at bay, he   
turned his back to her so that she wouldn't see his inner struggle or his   
torment.   
  
"You don't need me. Look, what we had was over long ago, and..."  
  
"But why" She interrupted. "Why is it over? You never told me.   
Is it age? I know that you are 20, but that can't matter much..."  
  
"Its not age" He choked out. He'd better get out of there before   
he really lost control of his emotions and wept like a schoolgirl.  
  
"Then what is it?" she asked. He felt her arm on his shoulder, and jumped   
as if he were scalded. She shrank back. "Darien...I love you, I always will.  
Please tell me. It is tearing me up inside. What we had was one in a million,   
and I want to know how I screwed it up." Serena waited for an explanation,   
but when none came she became exasperated. "Dammit! Why wont you talk to me!"   
She screamed. Darien flinched at her tone that was sharper than a thousand   
needles, and hurt a thousand times more.  
  
"There really is no explanation, I just don't love you anymore."   
He might as well have just cut out her heart and fed it to the wolves.   
She certainly felt as if he had done as much.  
  
"I gave you my heart and soul, and most importantly my love, and yet you   
scoff at it. Well Darien, I hope that you are happy with the thought that   
I will never speak to you again, and that I will never think of you again   
in any way. To me, you no longer exist." Grabbing the ripped end of her   
shirt, she turned around and walked towards home.   
  
Darien hung his head. He let a single tear fall, knowing that only he would   
know his pain, and that, in itself depressed him, but he knew to continue to  
protect her, he must stay away. It was for the best. He slowly dragged   
himself out of the alley, never even realizing that the man he had fought   
was awake, aware, and following close behind.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Serena cried herself to sleep that night, knowing that she  
had just lost the best thing in her life, but not really knowing how   
close she was to the truth. Tossing and turning, she had dreams of that   
night in the alley, of scary men with scars, and of her love, telling her   
that he didn't love her any more. All of a sudden all the rambling thoughts   
were erased, and all that was left was herself, and Darien, looking very   
mournful. Somehow, instinctively she knew that this wasn't just a normal   
dream.  
  
"Darien, what are you doing here? Why do you look so sad?" Darien   
looked at Serena and let out a sob of despair. He reached over   
and grabbed her hand, and kissed it, finally letting out all the love and   
emotion that he had regretfully kept inside all these months.   
  
Serena silently cried at his romantic caress, and knew that what   
her dream was telling her was that something was different, something was   
going to change. Darian never said a word, but he didn't need to. Leaning   
forward, he gently kissed her on the mouth. Though it was just a light   
caress, that kiss, to Serena, held more romance than all the others   
combined. She felt in her heart that everything would be all right and that   
they would be together soon. She looked up and saw a single tear fall.   
Watching it trail down his face, she watched it change until it gradually   
turned to crystal. A crystal tear. She caught the tear just before it   
fell onto the hard ground and studied it. Flawless and perfect. She   
looked up into the eyes of her lover and knew that this was it. She   
didn't know how she knew, but she did. He reached up and cupped her cheek  
with his hand, almost as if memorizing the contours of her face for the   
last time. She leaned into his hand and closed her eyes, wanting to feel   
the warmth of his skin, the closeness of his touch. She felt abandonment   
draw near however, and knew that their time was at an end. Serena looked up  
into his eyes and saw his regret, his love, and his compassion.   
  
"I love you Darien, I will always love you no matter what. I am   
sorry that I lied earlier. I love you with all my heart, and you will   
always have it." Darien nodded to show his understanding. He leaned   
forward, and in desperation, she wrapped her arms around his neck and   
kissed him with all the love and passion that she felt for him. After  
too short a time, he lifted his head and whispered the few words she had   
been waiting to hear her whole life.  
  
"I love you Serena...never forget that." With that, he turned  
around, and floated away.  
  
"Darien, wait don't leave me! Darien!!!!!!"  
  
Serena awoke screaming Darien's name. Her mother rushed into  
the room, ready to help her little girl in need. She knew that when Serena   
found out, all hell would break loose. Her mother wrapped her arms around   
her little girl and let her sob. "Darien" was all that Serena could utter.   
  
Her mother closed her eyes and prayed to God that the news she had for   
Serena wouldn't kill her. She pushed her daughter away so that she could   
look into the tear stricken eyes of her innocent child. "Honey, there is   
something I have to tell you...about Darien..."  
  
Serena listened intently as her mother told her about how Darien  
was found last night, beaten to death, not far from their house. She   
explained that the culprit wasn't found, but witnesses had seen a man with   
a crescent scar on his face.  
  
Serena lost herself then in hysterics. It was her fault, all her   
fault. He had come to save her, and he lost his life because of it. She   
sobbed and cried uncontrolably. Thoughts of her love ran through her mind.   
She thought of how much she loved Darien. She remembered the dream and took   
it as a sign that he still loved her. Sitting on her bed, she clutched with   
desperation a single crystal tear to her heart.   
  



End file.
